POSSIBLE USE OF THE ALIAS "GEORGE RUSSELL" IN CONNECTION WITH THE WATERGATE INCIDENT (W/ATTACHMENT)

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
01482436
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
4
Document Creation Date: 
December 28, 2022
Document Release Date: 
August 7, 2017
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
F-2007-00094
Publication Date: 
May 8, 1973
File: 
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PDF icon possible use of the alias[15132219].pdf215.74 KB
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liKLASSIFIED Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482436 '''TERNAL coY lENTIAL I ONLY Ffl SECRET ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET SUBJECT: (Optional) (b)(3) FROM: Howard J. Osborn Director of Securit EXTENSION NO. DATE TO: (Officer designation, room number, and building) DATE .0 nawm ..FORWARDED OFFICER'S INITIALS COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.) L Executive Secretary, CIA Management Committee Director of Security 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. --7---- el .� ,,.;;;:...:_.'"' i.e.., n, IL- FORM 3-62 610 "D7,,E0,�" SECRET CONFIDENTIAL INTERNAL USE ONLY Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482436 -1 UNCLASSIFIED Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482436 'EXi1�1.- S MAY 1973 MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Secretary, CIA Management Committee FROM SUBJECT � � Director of Security RnI2tIT Possible use of the Alias "George Russell" in Connection with the Watergate Incident 1. Reference is made to The Washington Post article by Jack Anderson on 8 May 1973, which suggests that James McCord and G. Gordon Liddy may have flashed phony CIA creden- tials under the alias of "George Russell." 3. This matter has been coordinated with Mr. Angus Thnprmer Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence. Attachment owarci J. U7Dorn Director of Security (b)(3) (b)(3) (b)(3) Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482436 Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482436 CD�rrE-4--. SUBJECT: Possible use of the Alias "George Russell" in Connection with the Watergate Incident Distribution: Orig - Return to OS via DDMS 1 - Executive Registry 2 - DD/MS Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482436 Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482436 �.� The Washington Merry-Go-Round THE. WA.SHINGTOIN POST T zieseay, M ay 8,19a. . . . R CIA n neportedly Set By jack Anderson noted � that Hunt. and , Liddy had "traveled extensively The Watergate ringleaders around the United States con- apparently used phony creden- tials, which the-central Intelli7 � gence � Agency. authinticated; � during their spying-sabotage tacting former -CIA employees for the purpole, of.setting up a. security organization- for the Republican . Party dealing: with 'pollticalespion�." � operations against against the Demo-, Both E.' .Howarcl. Hunt,and !crats. McCorcL.are exCIA agents Trusted sources hat-e told us When: ' 1James McCord, While he was Hunt.) was involVed'i in the preparing to bug Democratic Watergate -:conspiracy agent , !Party headquarters,. flashed John Rule-'telephonically con-, CIA papers identifying him- taeted" presidential =.'-assistant. ; self as "George Russell." Alexander P, Butterfield for Those who checked with the an , explanation. Our sources CIA were assured� "George say he.was the White House li- Russell" was a legitimate em:- aisort man with the CIA, -An ployee. FBI' memo states - that Butter- Other .k.urces close; to the field � informed Rule ' that Watergate investigation. say "Hunt was used ,..�? I.. on 'highly that G.. Gordon Liddy may sensitive, confidential matters' also have used the same abeut nine months ago." -. "George Russell" alias. These The first impulse of Fresi- sources claitia the FBI origi- dent Nixon's.. campaign chiefs tinily thought the Watergate was to blame the Watergate " break-in was a CLA. operation. bugging operation on the, CIA. on March.25, 1971, that we do The CIA, however, refused Beth Hunt and McCord balked not yield one iota on inde- to cooperate with the FBI in- pendence, believe me. The vestigation. A memo, :intended ! for FBI eyes only; reported: It is recalled We specifically were requested by the CIA i not to interview . . . two CIA � employees, and instructions were issued to WFO [Washington Field Office] to this effect. One of the individ- uals had already been inter- viewed, and the second was not interviewed per the re- lag called by the FBI. He had quest of the CIA." : "security responsibility" at the Another FBI memo, pre- White House, he said, but was pared for ex-White House "not aware" that he was a des- Chief of staff H.R. Haldeman ignated CIA liaison official. but never submitted to him, I McCord couldn't be reached. received allegations that de- ;elm. United Feature SYncLicats and the CIA would say only that "McCord is a retired em- ployee and normally would not carry , current identifica- tion!! at this suggestion and sent back angry word that they wouldn't "sit still' for this. They have testified under oath that Watergate was not �a CIA operation. But there is g,rowmg evi- dence of some kind of CIA in- volvement. Footnote: Butterfield told my associate Joseph Spear that he doesn't remember be Gag Order- ' . Angry senators have charged that the White House had intervened with the Na- tional -Transportation Safety Board to stop the release of reports, that might embarrass the Nixon administration. The board is- supposed to be an independent agency which investigates air accidents and oversees the performance of the Federal Aviation Adminis- tration. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Warren Magnuson (D-Wash.) believes air safety should be kept out of politics. " He got assurances from board chairman John H. Reed board is completely independ- ent. We try to be gentlemen in working with [the White House,] but � there is no 'intrusion be- yond that independence line and if there is any influence I will be the first one up here to speak to you and members of the committee." - Magnuson has now been in- formed, however, that the White House ordered the board to cease issuing reports critical of the administration. In a scalding letter, Magnu- son has written Reed: "I have spite the assurance you sonally provided the commit.:i. tee on March 25, 1971, that,.on March 18, 1973, you -called a meeting of members of the. National Transportation Safety,. Board to discuss corm:Mudd t * . . ons you had received from, Uri White House staff regard* certain lawful functions of i1f6, board. ' - "It has been alleged," con- tinues the confidential letter, "on that occasion you, acting' as chairman of the board, re- vealed that the ,White House staff had expiessend displeas- tire with you and other mem:- bers of the board because of� - certain reports and recommen- dations adopted and made publically by the board which were critical of the Depart- ment of Transportation and its Federal Aviation Administra- tion. has been charged that you were ordered, despite' provisions of law to the con- trary, to cease issuing such re- ports which might in any wa'y be construed as critical of the Department of Transportation or the executive branch. Fur- ther, charges have been made that you informed members of the board that unless the board agreed to cease this at- tivity ... that members would be 'disciplined' by the White House." Magnuson demanded full particulars from Reed who, when contacted by us, refused to comment. Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482436